Mexico

05/16/2013

After "journalist Jorge Carrasco was in Veracruz this week reporting on the killing of another Proceso". The Proceso magazine has release a statement; that because of Carrasco investigation in another Proceso's journalist death, that they have found "reports about a meeting between former officials and government officials, public safety and the Attorney Veracruz whose purpose was to agree hostile actions against the reporter in response to more recent publication Regina around for Martinez, who began circulating across the country on the same Sunday 14." and the intention of the officials might be to "kidnapping and [cause]possible death" to journalist Jorge Carraso.

The most likely explanation for the government officials to send threats towards Jorge Carrasco is in the article he did on which"was critical of Veracruz authorities’ handling of the case of Regina Martinez, the weekly’s correspondent in that state, who was strangled and beaten to death a year ago this month." and how they ended up convicting a junkie for the crime who has "denied guilt, saying he was tortured by Veracruz authorities into making a confession "

Carrasco's article in detail also "exposed numerous holes in the state’s investigation, including questionable evidence and the failure of Veracruz prosecutors to take into account journalistic work by Martinez that angered many of the state’s powerful. The magazine accused state prosecutors of ignoring justice to instead protect the image of Veracruz Gov. Javier Duarte, under whose administration more journalists have been killed or gone missing than anywhere else in Mexico."

Journalists in Mexico are already in danger from kidnapping and death threats from the drug cartels but now to have government officials doing same thing that drugs cartels are doing becomes more problematic. This is a problem when people are in power and they are corrupt, they will do anything to keep their power. Even threatening a journalist that has already exposed their corrupt dealings. While this is good thing that corrupted government officials find journalists to be threatening to their power, meaning that what journalist's report on has the power on taking out these corrupt officials. In reality it should be the corrupt officials running for the hills and not the other way around where it the journalists that are doing this.

What happens when news networks stop reporting on certain subjects? Would lifes will be lost? This has been happening in Mexico where "Mexico’s media channels have stopped reporting about drug-related violence in the country because they have been threatened with violence. In response to the lack of news many Mexican’s have started using Twitter as a means to find that lacking news."

Everyday citizens have picked up the slack on Twitter where they "inform the public about shootings, harassment, murders and arrests,.." To note as well that those who report about drug related violence on Twitter are in danger of receiving death threats from Mexican Cartels. While they are taking some risks reporting about the drug violence over on Twitter; they're lucky to "remained anonymous in order to [not have to faced] the [same amount of ] risks... by traditional journalists."

These twitter users are doing good work in that "The tweets acted as a “public service announcement” that warned citizens to stay clear of certain neighborhoods." Although these twitters users shouldn't be the only ones reporting on the Mexican drug cartel violence. Journalists that know the risks of their jobs being dangerous at times, should be reporting on the drug violence in there country regardless of the threats they get.

04/22/2013

Being a journalist in Mexico can be a death sentcnce for many. Especially because most of the news they write, are about corruption and drug trafficking. Jaime Gonzalez Dominguez, an online journalist reporter and founder of Ojinaga Noticias was killed on March 3rd, 2013.

Mr. Dominquez was a reporter with Contacto for many years. In 2011 he left Contacto, because of the huge backlash and death threats the press was getting. Mr. Dominguez decided to start an online news portal called, Ojinaga Noticias, by 2012 it was also available in print. According to guardian.co.uk, Ojinaga Noticias covered many topics in the town of Ojinaga, Chihuahua such as local politics, sports, education, and also crime.

According to Amnesty.org, journalist in Mexico are being killed left and right, because the charges and conviction against the killer is non-existant if any.

On March 3, 2013 Univision News, reported that the El Siglo de Terreon receieved three attacks the week before. Javier Garza Ramos, an editor at the newspaper believes the attack was towards the police officers guarding the newspaper building.

Mexico is known as one of the most dangerous countries for journalist. So when are we going to instill a since of comfort for the news to be published in Mexico. When journalist can feel free to write or say what is going on without fearing for their lives.

04/16/2013

According to The Global Post, the owner of the accounts for Valor por Tampaulipas on Twitter and Facebook is in danger of being killed. The account is responsible for reporting drug related violence to the media, in Northeast Mexico. The manager of the account shut down the accounts because leaders of local drug cartels had put a hit out for him. The cartels reportedly had offered up too $600,000 pesos ($46,000 USD) for anyone who can supply information leading to the location of the page owner

The Global Post is reporting that the owner of the page said "The social networks are a battlefield on which the main users have some type of interest or role in this war"

Mexico is a little behind in the social media world. According to Microsoft and Social News Daily, from 2000-2010 the number of online users jumped from 17.2% too 34.9%. The study also said that 34 million persons in Mexico use the internet. 37% are under 18, while 40% are between the ages of 18-34. Microsoft is also reporting that 61% of internet users in Mexico use it for social networking. The breakdown of it is 39% use Facebook, 38% use Youtube and 20% use Twitter.